Classic Album Sundays presents Herbie Hancock ‘Head Hunters’

‘Head Hunters’. The record seemed to mark yet another direction for the pianist and composer who had developed his sound under the tutelage of Miles Davis who had recognized Hancock’s prodigious talent early on, enlisting him into his Second Great Quintet. After exploring the avant-garde with his own outfit and recording the trio of ‘Mwandishi’ albums, Hancock wanted to ground his music, returning back to Earth after his stratospheric ventures. It has also been said that he was underwhelmed by the response by both fans and critics and the financial situation was possibly an additional incentive to pursue another music direction. There were also new musical inspirations that compelled his artistic desire to try something different. The R&B-inflected rock of Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown’s live improvisations and Stevie Wonder’s cross-over future funk were certainly seeding ideas in Hancock’s psyche. Read more about the album here.

Join us to first listen to music that either inspired or was relevant to this LP such as Miles Davis and Donald Byrd, followed by the story and contemporary relevance of the album. Then the lights go down, the volume goes up and we play the album from beginning to end on vinyl on our audiophile hi-fi. Listening guidelines apply.